It's a question often posed how will a modern design sit in a neighbourhood of traditional residences?
For this project, the answer lay in both the design of the house and the material palette, say architects Larry Woodson and Lelia Gilchrist, principals of Woodson Gilchrist Architects.
"The property is situated in a street of very grand, heritage-style homes, so this was always going to be a modern house in a very traditional context," Woodson says. "We chose to embrace that dichotomy by designing a house that would uniquely respond to the environment and not simply ignore it."
Although the owners wanted a modern house, they wanted it to be glamorous. They also expressed an appreciation of symmetrical architecture, which is a key feature of the neighbouring properties.
"The front facade that presents to the street is highly symmetrical," Woodson says. "Entry to the house is through a courtyard and loggia with a central opening and symmetrical pillars effectively a modern interpretation of the traditional."
The vertical windows are another nod to the neighbouring properties.
"These differ from classic modernist architecture, which usually features horizontal windows," says Woodson. "The verticality is quite severe. In design terms, it also orders the house the windows appear to march down the side of the building, much as they do in the traditional houses. But the modernity can be seen in the use of large glazed panes, rather than lots of small panes."